1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tape cartidges for magnetic tape drive systems having a belt drive which contacts the tape and more particularly to such a tape cartridge with an improved floating roller belt drive mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Magnetic tape transports having belt drive systems is known in the prior art. Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,230 which comprises a tape cartridge with a belt drive means with a belt engaging a freely rotatable roller means for squeezing a zone of said belt against the peripheral surface of the tape about the supply and take-up packs.
Belt drive systems have advantages over the more conventional drive engaging the shafts of the reel packs. In such more conventional systems, difficulty is encountered from the changes in diameter and in angular speed of the reel packs when one reel is paid out and the other taken up. This problem has been partially solved by systems wherein the reels are driven tangentially by the belt.
In using a belt, it is necessary that the position of the belt float due to the constantly changing diameter of the tape on both the supply and take-up reel packs. In using a floating roller engaged to the belt, the roller tends to be unstable. The roller instabilities in turn inflict instabilities in the belt which in turn inflicts instabilities in the tape as it is transported. The instabilities in the tape result in flutter which in turn limits the recording and playback efficiencies in the tape transport system. The instabilities further tend to cause audible noise in the tape drive system which decreases the desireability of such systems by consumers.